Jeff Fortenberry

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. If I could speak, Doctor, real quick.

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Exactly right. They have a very aggressive, progressive health and wellness program where you're actually incentivized to watch your health, to take measures to actually engage in preventative care. The largest employer in Nebraska actually has a 50 percent lower increase--it's still increasing--in their own health care cost because they aggressively incentivize prevention as well. A manufacturing entity in my hometown of Lincoln has a $5,000 per employee cost for their health insurance versus $8,000 dollars in the industry average because, again, a strong focus on health and wellness. Right now--and, Doc, you might want to add something--we tend to pay the medical establishment, the systems, to fix or cut or prescribe. And if we incentivize wellness for persons who are in insurance plans to actually have incentives to watch their own cost, perhaps through expansion of health savings accounts and other entities that allow for the creative opportunity for families and individuals to better control their own health care as well as companies paying directly for prevention, and then incentivizing the medical establishment to be paid or to be reimbursed basically for that type of care, you'll begin to get to one of the major cost drivers that has left us in this situation. Hundreds of billions of dollars could potentially be saved.

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Thank you. I think, if I could reframe this for just a moment, I think there's a central question we should all be asking ourselves on both sides of the aisle, and including the administration: How do we actually strengthen health care in America? How do we answer a fundamental question as to reducing cost, improving health care for all Americans, and protecting vulnerable people? If you start to frame how we move forward on appropriate public policies that improve health care, reduce cost, and protect our vulnerable people, you begin to get actually underneath the reasons that we're in a circumstance now where you have a large section of America that is pretty happy with its health care, but generally unhappy with the rising cost. You have another section of America that has real problems with gaps of insurance coverage either because of preexisting conditions or loss of job and an inability to afford a product individually. That's a real problem. Then you have certain vulnerable populations who, frankly, end up in the emergency room a lot of times; whereas, if there were alternative methods of care, primarily for primary care, that would reduce that cost as well. So how do you begin to answer those questions, I think. One is--and I think there has been a certain bipartisan focus on this--and that's this positive in this overall debate--but it's the whole issue of health and wellness. Our total health care bill in this country is about $2.2 trillion. About 75 percent of that is actually due to the onset of chronic disease. A major portion of that could actually be prevented or better managed with significant cost reductions. For instance, some estimates suggest that 80 percent of cardiovascular disease could actually be prevented or better managed. Can you imagine the hundreds of billions of dollars that we could be saving if we had a cultural shift in the paradigm of health that looked at incentivizing both prevention and wellness? I will give you a few examples. In Nebraska, we have a rehabilitation hospital called Madonna Rehab Hospital, and we actually held a committee hearing, a public hearing in the field back home on putting the health back in health care. It was a subcommittee of the Agriculture Committee, which we held back in August. Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital's principal testified they have a 1.7 percent increase in their annual health care bill over the last 5 years. Incredibly low.

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Well, first of all, thank you for your comments, and it's a pleasure to join you this evening. I didn't have the benefit of the conversation in its fullness before joining you just a moment ago, but I would like to try to make a contribution to what you're saying, if you can yield a few minutes to me.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, in his recent speech before Wall Street, President Obama was right to demand more responsibility from the American financial industrial complex. One year and $16 trillion of taxpayer liability at risk later, the American people are still shouldering the burden of the reckless behavior of the companies deemed ``too big to fail.'' I am troubled, however, Mr. Speaker, by the presupposition espoused by international leaders during last week's G-20 summit that greater global consolidation of our financial systems is in our national or in the international community's best interest. Mr. Speaker, it is the global scale of the crisis of credit and confidence that should give us pause to consider that our profound economic connectedness might actually intensify our problems. Local businesses and local financiers best know the needs of their communities and, in their very essence, are more transparent and accountable. Rather than risk becoming more intertwined in an internationalist financial industrial model, we should focus instead on encouraging the formation of strong local economies, which are the proper models for us to build economic strength in America as well as for the world's developing nations. This should be Wall Street's and the President's guiding principle. They owe it to the American people.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, this month Lincoln Montessori School of Nebraska is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Started in 1969 by Mary and Larry Verschuur, Lincoln Montessori School is one of the first schools in the United States to be custom built to facilitate the Montessori curriculum. The school has served hundreds of families over two generations and is fully a part of Nebraska's diverse educational community. Forty years later, Mary and Larry are still the school's motivating force. They guide young children daily with beautiful and purposeful materials, offer after-school enrichment classes for older children, conduct classes to help parents understand and implement the Montessori philosophy, and lecture on education in Nebraska and around the world. The result: children who are self-directed and self-disciplined, joyful, and eager to learn. The children are free to discover the world. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the First District of Nebraska and the United States Congress, I thank the Verschuurs, two extraordinary people, for their dedication to the formation of young children and congratulate them on the 40th anniversary of Lincoln Montessori School in Nebraska.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 691, I was inadvertently delayed. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Lieutenant General James G. Roudebush. As his 34-year career in the United States Air Force draws to a close, I would like to draw attention to some of his significant accomplishments and enduring contributions to our great Nation. Lieutenant General James G. Roudebush is the Surgeon General of the Air Force, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Educated at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, he received a direct commission in the Medical Service Corps upon completing his master's degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1975. In his distinguished career, he served as the Vice Commander at the Human Systems Center and the Command Surgeon General for United States Central Command. Lieutenant General Roudebush also served as the Command Surgeon for Pacific Air Forces Command, United States Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command. His commands include the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing Hospital at Bitburg Air Base, Germany, and 89th Medical Group, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. Prior to his current assignment, General Roudebush was the Deputy Surgeon General at the U.S. Air Force Headquarters. In his career, General Roudebush has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He holds a Chief Flight Surgeon rating with more than 1,100 flight hours in fourteen different aircraft including the C- 5 Galaxy, F-15 Eagle and KC-135 Stratotanker. General Roudebush has served his career with dedication and honor in the service of his country. He significantly transformed the role and impact of the Air Force Medical Service. The breadth of his enormously positive impact on the Air Force--medical readiness; pre- and post- deployment physical and mental health assessments; suicide prevention initiatives; and the successful aero-medical evacuation of tens of thousands of wounded service members from Iraq and Afghanistan--are key pillars of his contributions to government service. As the architect for the Surgeon General's Force Development Flight Path, each of the five Corps--Medical, Medical Service, Dental, Biomedical Services, and Nurse--now have a career pathway for all medical officers from lieutenant to general specific to their Corps. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commending Lieutenant General James G. Roudebush for his lifetime of dedication and self-sacrifice in the service of our great Nation.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on member requests, I am submitting the following information regarding the earmarks I received as part of the FY10 Defense Appropriations Bill: Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3326, FY10 Defense Appropriations Bill Account: RDT&E, Army/Medical Technology/Program Element #: 0602787A/ Line Item #: 28 Project Name: Understanding Blast-Induced Brain Injury Amount: $3,000,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: University of Nebraska-Lincoln located at 302 Canfield Administrations Building, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583 Description: Most of the head and brain injuries occurring in current combat situations result from roadside explosions, but there is currently only limited understanding of blast-induced traumatic brain injury. This funding would be used to model how blast waves from explosions cause short- and long-term brain injury to warfighters and to develop devices and equipment to mitigate the damage. This research will lead to devices for improved detection and optimized equipment designs to protect against multiple insults to the brain from the blast impact and blast waves. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3326, FY10 Defense Appropriations Bill Account: RDT&E, Air Force, University Research Initiatives, PE 0601102F, Line 2 Project Name: Safeguarding End-User Military Software Amount: $1,500,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: University of Nebraska-Lincoln located at 302 Canfield Administrations Building, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583 Description: Military software increasingly is being created by ``end-user programmers,'' who use programming tools such as spreadsheets, military planning systems, and Matlab simulations to create software. This unvalidated software runs critical day-to-day operations and often is not dependable. The funding would be used to develop advanced software engineering safeguards that can be embedded in software programmed by military personnel to help them prevent and detect errors and produce more dependable military systems that save lives and money. Prototype safeguards implementing algorithms and mechanisms will be built and validated through carefully designed studies. These safeguards will be convenient for users and help them reason through the dependability of software as they develop it, protecting programmers and operators from errors and saving millions of dollars in programming development costs.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased as well to rise today in support of this resolution that recognizes the contributions of general aviation in the United States. The general aviation industry employs nearly 1.3 million Americans throughout the country. General aviation, which includes all civilian flying except scheduled passenger airlines, contributes more than $150 billion in direct and indirect economic output in our country. The resolution we are considering today celebrates the many areas in which general aviation plays an important role in the lives of everyday Americans. But, unfortunately, many of these contributions are often overlooked. Well beyond the services it provides for businesses of all sizes, the general aviation industry has a significant impact on our society. Across the Nation, 500,000 licensed pilots fly general aviation aircraft, and each year 170 million Americans use personal aviation. The 1.3 million Americans who work in the field hold high- skill jobs in aircraft manufacturing, avionics and technology development, flight training, maintenance, modification as well as technical support. Mr. Speaker, in my own home State of Nebraska, more than 5,000 people are employed in air transportation, and general aviation airports generate $720 million annually within our State. Additionally, general aviation is used to perform essential services necessary for our safety and well-being, such as aiding law enforcement through patrolling highways, apprehending suspects, monitoring national borders or locating lost children. General aviation also helps to save lives through emergency transport of patients, supplies and other time- critical items. The aviation industry protects the environment by assisting with the surveying of wildlife, mapping of wetlands and the patrolling of parklands. And, in addition, it serves as a vital tool for agricultural producers who often rely on air service for crop planting as well as crop protection. For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, and others laid out in the resolution, I encourage my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the great importance of general aviation to America's families and communities.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, we must put the health back into health care. Building a culture of wellness, including good nutrition and incentivizing prevention, moving from system-centered care to patient- centered care, and creating new insurance models can help meet this goal. These are the right solutions for strengthening America's health care, and they should be the basic components of an honest national debate. The current debate is framed incorrectly, focusing on a loosely defined public option. This vast new government arrangement of our health care system may transfer millions of Americans against their will, Mr. Speaker, from their current insurance to a government plan and will add to our unsustainable fiscal conditions. It will not resolve the underlying problems driving costs for small businesses and families. We have the opportunity in the next few weeks to do something right and good for the American people, to strengthen our Nation's health care by improving health outcomes while reducing costs and protecting vulnerable persons.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on member requests, I am submitting the following information regarding the earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293, the FY10 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act: Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3293, FY10 Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Act Account: Higher Education (includes FIPSE) Project Name: Sioux City College Center Amount: $100,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Wayne State College located at 1111 Main Street, Wayne, Nebraska Description: To adequately address the higher education and workforce development needs of Dakota and Thurston Counties, Nebraska higher education institutions Wayne State College and Northeast Community College are collaborating with the city of South Sioux City to build and equip the South Sioux City College Center to offer academic programs specifically designed to meet the needs of Nebraska and the tri-state region. The new College Center will serve the area by creating a ``one-stop'' consolidated service center offering community and economic development resources in addition to providing educational opportunity for area residents at an affordable price. This funding would assist with the purchase of distance learning equipment, nursing/ health/science lab technology and equipment; business and industry training technology equipment; and general classroom equipment. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3293, FY10 Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Act Account: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)--Health Facilities and Services Project Name: University of Nebraska Medical Center Rural Health Initiative Amount: $150,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: University of Nebraska Medical Center located at 986380 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198 Description: The funding would be used by the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to create a biomarkers database of rural diseases to assess environmental influences on the development of diseases by collecting health information from at least 50,000 Midwesterners. Currently most information about the relationship between disease and the environment is generated by major databases located in large urban areas on the east and west coasts which tend to be regionally specific and generally not applicable to rural areas. This database would be the first research cohort in the Midwest to study the relationship between rural populations, the environment, and disease development. This project could reveal environmental factors responsible for birth defects or lymphoma, a cancer with high incidence in Nebraska. The data will provide valuable information on the factors influencing development of deadly diseases like cancer and position UNMC Eppley Cancer Institute to be designated a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Center. This high distinction will allow for the most advanced patient care and research to be available in Nebraska. UNMC is the ideal institution to spearhead this database with its numerous resources, well-established statewide hospital network to collect data, a state-of-the art cancer research team and facilities, and comprehensive database capabilities to collect and assess acquired data from this project. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3293, FY10 Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Act Account: Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Project Name: Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital First Hope Initiative Amount: $250,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital located at 5401 South Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506 Description: The First Hope Initiative is a technology and research initiative aimed at increasing the functional independence, quality of life, and outcomes of patients with severe disabilities arising from such conditions as stroke, brain injury and spinal cord injury. The First Hope Initiative creates a model program that can be implemented at other rehabilitation facilities around the country including VA and military hospitals to ensure improved outcomes and independence for individuals recovering from catastrophic medical events. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3293, FY10 Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Act Account: Elementary and Secondary Education (Includes FIE) Project Name: Special Olympics 2010 USA National Games, Lincoln, Nebraska Amount: $350,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Special Olympics 2010 USA National Games, 7600 North 70th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68517 Description: The 2010 USA National Games for Special Olympics will be taking place July 18-23, 2010, in Lincoln, Nebraska. This will be the largest sporting event, to date, in the state of Nebraska and offers a great opportunity to make an economic, humanitarian, and educational impact upon Nebraskan communities as well as on the national landscape. Special Olympics offers year-round sports training and competition opportunities for both children and adults with an intellectual disability, giving them the opportunity to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and become integrated and valued members of our society. There will be 3,000 athletes, 1,000 coaches, 8,000 volunteers, and an estimated 15,000 family and friends in Lincoln and Omaha during the week of the games. The games are projected to generate $40 million in local economic impact and an additional $5 million in tax revenue alone. For six days there will be vigorous, Olympic-style sporting competitions for the athletes. In addition, there will be a number of non-sporting events, including a leadership program and free health screenings and services. The estimated budget for these games is $9 million dollars with the expected revenue coming from several designated areas including Federal and State appropriations, as well as local community support. From the time the athletes arrive in Nebraska, the Games Organizing Committee is responsible for all costs including the athletes and coaches' accommodations, meals, transportation, and security. In addition, funds will go to promoting the games, building out venues for competitions, renting venues, and for communication needs.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on member requests, I am submitting the following information regarding the earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288, the FY10 Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act: Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3228, FY10 Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act Account: Surface Transportation Priorities Project Name: Antelope Valley Project Transportation Improvements Amount: $750,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: City of Lincoln located at 555 S. 10th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508 Description: The City of Lincoln is committing significant resources for road and pedestrian improvements associated with Antelope Valley. Some of the important projects that remain in the $125 million transportation component of Antelope Valley Project include: construction of 3.35 miles of roadway (including the Antelope Valley Parkway from Vine Street to Capitol Parkway) to improve traffic in the City's central core and Northeast Lincoln; reducing through traffic congestion on the University campus and on downtown streets; eliminating two dangerous mainline at-grade rail crossings, and providing a new overpass (16th Street Overpass) to the State Fair Park, Devaney Sports Center, state military areas, and surrounding neighborhoods. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3288, FY10 Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act Account: Economic Development Initiative Project Name: Boys Town Building Construction Amount: $1,250,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Boys Town located at 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, Nebraska 68010. Description: Boys Town, Nebraska (a non-profit, non-sectarian organization) would use this funding to increase the number of at-risk girls and boys, and their families, served at the Boys Town USA home campus in Omaha, Nebraska. The funding would help fund the construction of a new totally comprehensive child and family services facility with increased capacity to serve more than double the population of children and families currently served of approximately 1,000. Boys Town will be providing at least $7.25 million in matching funds towards the requested federal share of the project. This multidimensional service facility will include the broad range of medical and juvenile justice delinquency services so that at-risk girls and boys (and their families) can have all child related disorders and care provided. Some of the services included, but not limited to, in this facility will include juvenile justice evaluations, services to prevent delinquency and school failure, and parenting skill building services to help parents become more effective at dealing with a variety of child disorders and issues. It is expected that through these services, youth recidivism of criminal behavior will be greatly reduced as will the need for further out-of home-placement, including that of a correctional or prison facility. Youth will be prepared to be productive members of society. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3288, FY10 Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act Account: Economic Development Initiative Project Name: CEDARS Children's Crisis Center Building Construction Amount: $200,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: CEDARS Youth Services, Inc., located at 620 North 48th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68504. Description: The funding will be used for construction of a new Children's Crisis Center for abused, homeless, and runaway youth in Southeast Nebraska. CEDARS Youth Services plans to build a children's crisis center to provide short-term emergency shelter, immediate professional assessment of each child's needs, intense family-centered therapeutic services, and an environment that inspires a rapid return to stable and enduring family living. The 18,000 square foot facility will not only provide immediate safety and protection for vulnerable children and youth across the Midwest, but also a comfortable family- friendly setting for them to begin reunification or to meet prospective foster parents in a safe, professional supervised setting. While primarily helping persons from the Midwest area, the Center has recently served youth from the states of Tennessee, Georgia, California, Michigan, Texas and others. CEDARS is the only emergency shelter provider for children and youth in Southeast Nebraska, and this children's crisis center will expand the current service capacity by as many as 12 children each day. This is a 50% increase.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, as Congress takes on the essential task of strengthening America's health care system, we have a choice here to either rush legislation costing more than $1 trillion or to have a serious analysis on the fundamental question as to how we actually improve health care outcomes, reduce costs, and protect vulnerable persons. One major consideration should be how any health care proposal will affect small businesses. Small businesses generate 60 to 80 percent of all new jobs each year in this country. In my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, 80 percent of those in the private sector are employed in businesses with 25 or fewer employees. This current plan would place an 8 percent payroll tax on certain small businesses who do not or cannot provide government-mandated coverage. Mr. Speaker, one study suggests that as many as 4.7 million jobs could be lost as a direct result of this overall health care proposal. This does not help anyone. There are more creative solutions to get people the care they need, help families manage ever-increasing costs, and help small business entrepreneurs provide the benefits for their employees.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on member requests, I am submitting the following information regarding the earmarks I received as part of the FY10 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill: Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3183, FY10 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill Account: Corps of Engineers--Construction Project Name: Antelope Creek Flood Damage Reduction Project Amount: $5,697,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Lower Platte South Natural Resources District located at 3125 Portia Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68521. Description: The Antelope Creek Flood Damage Reduction Project is a critical element of a flood control, transportation and community revitalization project known as the Antelope Valley Project. The project is being constructed in central Lincoln adjacent to the University of Nebraska Lincoln main campus to improve flood control, transportation networks and community well-being in the city's down- town area. Essential to progress on the entire Antelope Valley Project is the completion of the flood damage reduction component. This multi-purpose project is a partnership of the City of Lincoln, the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the federal Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The project reduces flooding threats to over 800 dwellings and businesses and 1,200 floodplain residents and removes 100-year floodplain restrictions on 400 acres. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3183, FY10 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill Account: Corps of Engineers--Construction Project: Sand Creek Environmental Restoration Project Amount: $500,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Lower Platte North Natural Resources District located at 511 Commercial Park Road, Wahoo, Nebraska 68066. Description: The Sand Creek Project will restore several types of historic wetlands and add to the national wetlands inventory in support of the Administration's ``net gain'' national wetlands policy. A quantitative analysis of all environmental outputs by the Corps of Engineers in addition to the Feasibility Study demonstrated a significant level of benefits for this wetland restoration project for the Lower Platte River watershed which serves the North American Central Flyway. The Sand Creek Project supports the national goal of a net gain in American wetlands. Active pursuit of this goal also provides for improvements in water quality and water supply to achieve watershed improvement. Flooding in Wahoo along the U.S. 77 Expressway corridor occurred twice during 2006. Completion of the wetlands restoration structure will also provide flood damage reduction benefits on the roadway allowing completion of this expressway between Lincoln and Sioux City. This is a key segment of the expressway. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3183, FY10 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill Account: Corps of Engineers--Construction Project: Western Sarpy-Clear Creek Flood Damage Reduction Project Amount: $1,000,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District located at 8901 S. 154th Street, Omaha, NE 68138. Description: The Western Sarpy-Clear Creek Flood Damage Reduction Project is vital to the health and well-being of a large number of Nebraskans. It is planned to protect vital drinking water resources that supply up to 50% of Nebraska's population in the eastern part of the state from flooding due to potential ice jams on the Platte River. Elected officials at local, regional and state levels in Nebraska have been long committed to this project's construction because of risk to water supplies and other infrastructure. Significant construction progress towards completion is vital to Nebraska in the year ahead. The Congress has provided construction funding for the past four years in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. In 1993, flooding in the Lower Platte severed one-half of the City of Lincoln's water supply and catastrophe was again threatened in 1997 from ice-jam induced flooding. That portion of the new Omaha Metropolitan Utilities District well field on the western side of the Platte River now under development south of U.S. Highway 92 will also receive vital protection from this project. Treatment facilities for water from this well-field will be completed in the months ahead. Additionally, this project is needed to provide protection to: I-80 and U.S. Highway 6; the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, an Amtrak line; military facilities the National Guard Camp at Ashland; national telecommunication lines; and other public infrastructure. Construction of a separate but companion levee at the Nebraska National Guard Camp at Ashland was fully funded by the Congress in the FY '04 Military Construction Appropriations Bill and is completed. Neither of these adjoining levees is effective without the other. Ice jams with the potential for flooding in the area around Camp Ashland and the I-80 Bridge where it crosses the Lower Platte River occurred again as recently as 2001 and will continue to be a significant threat until both of these projects are completed. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3183, FY10 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill Account: Section 205 Project Name: Fremont Section 205 Flood Control Study Amount: No specific dollar amount Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Lower Platte North Natural Resources District located at 511 Commercial Park Road, Wahoo, Nebraska 68066 Description: This funding is for the federal share to complete the Fremont South Section 205 Flood Control Study. Funding for this Section 205 project will continue urgent feasibility planning to strengthen an existing flood control levee in order to remove a portion of South Fremont from the threat of flooding in the 100 year flood plain. This Fremont South area will be soon identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (``FEMA'') as within the designated flood plain. The total cost of the project is $1,086,000 split equally between the Corps of Engineers and the nonfederal sponsor. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3183, FY10 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill Account: Section 205 Project Name: Schuyler Section 205 Flood Control Study Amount: No specific dollar amount Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Lower Platte North Natural Resources District located at 511 Commercial Park Road, Wahoo, Nebraska 68066 Description: This funding under the Section 205 authority is for the federal share to continue the Schuyler, Nebraska Flood Control Study. The amount requested will continue the Schuyler, Nebraska 205 Flood Control Study. The purpose of the study is to plan for mitigation of flooding in 40% of the city which is anticipated to be placed in the flood plain for the first time when designated by FEMA. The total cost of the study is $772,000 split equally between the Corps of Engineers and the non-federal sponsor. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3183, FY10 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill Account: Energy Efficiency and Renewable--Energy Project Name: Sustainable Energy Options for Rural America Amount: $500,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: University of Nebraska-Lincoln located at 302 Canfield Administration Building, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 Description: This funding would be used to research the most effective sustainable energy options for rural Nebraska and to establish demonstration sites which will include the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff, the West Central Water Resources Field Lab near North Platte, the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory near Whitman, and two sites in eastern Nebraska. Alternative energy technologies to be considered include wind, solar, anaerobic digestion (methane generation), gasification, direct burning of biomass, fuel cells, diesel engines converted to high compression ethanol engines, hybrid vehicles, and flex-fueled engines. Fuels to be considered include gasoline, diesel fuel, ethanol, biodiesel, dimethyl ether, butanol, and syngas. Energy independence is one of our highest national priorities. This project addresses the need to pursue development of diverse, sustainable alternative energy sources. Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 3183, FY10 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill Account: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Project Name: Switchgrass Biofuel Research: Carbon Sequestration and Life Cycle Analysis Amount: $250,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: University of Nebraska-Lincoln located at 302 Canfield Administration Building, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 Description: The funding would be used to establish a production- scale switchgrass carbon sequestration and life cycle analysis research program. Research will focus on optimizing switchgrass production for use as a biofuel and developing improved life cycle analysis tools to determine greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for federal compliance certification of refineries processing switchgrass into ethnaol. In the Midwest, switchgrass appears to be the most viable cellulosic feedstock for biofuels because it is a highly productive native grass species. The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) requires that switchgrass biofuel systems meet a threshold reduction in GHG emissions of 60% compared to gasoline, and the Environmental Protection Agency will establish regulations based on the best available science. Initial life cycle analyses suggest switchgrass systems will only meet EISA thresholds if they sequester a substantial amount of carbon in soil. This analysis could be altered if switchgrass producers increase inputs (water, fertilizer, etc). Quantifying switchgrass carbon sequestration under varying input requirements is vital to developing this source of cellulosic ethanol.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, as Congress takes on the essential task of strengthening our health care system, we have an extraordinary opportunity here to do something good and right for the American people. While the challenges before us are multiple, shifting the health care paradigm from a system that treats the symptoms of sickness and disease to one that promotes life-long wellness and prevention for all Americans would be a very good and meaningful start. The current health care debate, which focuses on a loosely defined, government-operated ``public option,'' has yet to address several underlying complexities within our system. But the essential question here is really simple: How do we improve health outcomes and reduce costs while protecting vulnerable persons? A thorough policy debate must be grounded in these cornerstone objectives to effectively improve the quality of and access to health care for all Americans, or else we are simply discussing a new government-financing mechanism without regard to unsustainable cost projections.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, recently the Secretary of State appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and confirmed that it is the administration's goal to include abortion as an integral element of ``reproductive health care'' provided by the United States overseas. This hearing came on the heels of the Secretary's words of praise for Margaret Sanger as a personal heroine. Margaret Sanger was a notorious American eugenicist who advocated tirelessly for policies to eliminate persons she deemed inferior and unworthy to live, namely the poor, the immigrant, and the black child. While the Secretary at the hearing did rightfully deplore the racist comments attributed to Margaret Sanger, the administration's policies regrettably continue to champion abortion both here and abroad. This continues despite the fact that more and more Americans oppose the practice, let alone using taxpayer dollars to fund it, or imposing it on persons across the world who may be weaker and more vulnerable. Margaret Sanger's world view should shock the conscience and evoke equal condemnation from thoughtful persons on both sides of the aisle. Madam Speaker, for this reason, I was stunned to learn that in a July 12 interview with the New York Times, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg echoed the sentiments of Sanger. While explaining the outcome of Harris v. McRae, a 1980 Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Hyde amendment, which disallows Medicaid funding for abortions, Justice Ginsburg said this, ``frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of.'' Madam Speaker, did you hear those words? Justice Ginsburg, I repeat, actually said this, ``There was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of.'' Madam Speaker, to whom was Justice Ginsburg referring? Who would Justice Ginsburg prefer to not have live? It is unfathomable that in this day and age, a Justice of the United States Supreme Court would articulate such a patently genocidal sentiment. This is more of the same discredited, amoral philosophy of social engineering that offers no comfort, no vision of the common bond of all humanity, particularly for those who are weak and vulnerable among us. Madam Speaker, it is with a very heavy heart that I have to say such things. I know we have come much further than this in our society. Millions of Americans believe that we are big enough and loving enough as a Nation to embrace the mother and her unborn child and truly care for life. We can do better. We must do better. Women deserve better than abortion, and America deserves better from its leaders.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate having an opportunity to offer this amendment to promote renewable energy in rural America. America needs a bold new energy division, and I believe this amendment can help. Our sustainable energy future must include the integration of conservation, as well as new technologies, powered by clean renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and biofuels. Specifically, Mr. Chairman, my amendment would transfer $2 million from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Chief Information Officer to the Rural Energy for America Program. While I do recognize the importance of funding for the Office of the Chief Information Officer and its role in providing enhanced technology at the Department of Agriculture, this appropriations bill does provide a $44 million increase for the office compared to last year. I believe it is appropriate to transfer a small amount of that increase, $2 million, to our Nation's renewable energy efforts. Specifically, again, my amendment shifts this funding to the Rural Energy for America Program, known as REAP. The REAP program funds a wide range of renewable energy projects that stimulate rural economies, help create jobs, and address environmental concerns. This funding promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy production and is directed to farming communities and rural small businesses. I would also like to emphasize, Mr. Chairman, that in last year's farm bill there is included a new program that has parallel goals to REAP and is designed to create models of energy independence on a rural community level. This new program, the Rural Energy Self-Sufficiency Initiative, authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to up to five eligible rural communities annually. The pilot program grants would be used to develop an integrated renewable energy system in order to increase energy self-sufficiency through technologies as well as other renewable sources, such as biofuels, biomass, biogas, geothermal, and wind and solar, resulting in model systems and best practices that could be replicated elsewhere in the Nation. Because of the importance of this new program, it is my hope that the $2 million provided in this amendment, should it pass, would be directed to the Rural Energy Self-Sufficiency Initiative as the appropriations process moves forward. Mr. Chairman, I do believe that renewable energy is changing today's agriculture and rural communities. It is clearly in our national interest to help rural communities integrate a wide variety of renewable energy sources and technologies as we move toward energy independence and environmental security. New development and signs of interest in renewable energy production are booming, Mr. Chairman, and I am proud that my own State, Nebraska, is a leader in creating green jobs in the country. This amendment does strengthen Congress' resolve to creatively appropriate monies for the best practices in regards to renewable resources and develop new energy options throughout our country. I urge its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FORTENBERRY. I would like to thank the chairwoman of the committee for her support of this amendment. It's important. Clearly, we have a similar vision on a bold, new, sustainable energy vision for the country, and I think this is important and will help very much. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on member requests, I am submitting the following information regarding the earmarks I received as part of the FY10 Agriculture Appropriations Bill: Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry Bill Number: H.R. 2997, FY10 Agriculture Appropriations Bill Account: Special Research Grants Project Name: Drought Mitigation Amount: $469,000 Name and Address of Requesting Entity: University of Nebraska-Lincoln located at 202 Agricultural Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583 Description: This funding is for the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) which conducts research and educational programs on drought mitigation and planning for drought. The project has assisted numerous states and municipalities in developing drought plans and implementing drought response action teams. The Center has received national visibility for providing information on the severity of drought throughout the United States. Both print and electronic mass media routinely use Center produced materials in their news stories on the drought.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I believe that it is critical for us to provide a clear vision for U.S. foreign policy to represent the best of the United States of America. I want to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their efforts to bring this important measure to the floor today. Mr. Chairman, a Muslim cleric once whispered to me, Do not forget the goodness of America. America is justice. While much has changed in the world in recent years, the core ideals that made the United States a generous, principled and prosperous Nation--the commitment to justice for all--remain unchanged. We are now entwined in a more interdependent world, which entails the potential for great good or for great harm. We can innovate to build sustainable capacities to help all persons achieve their full potential, or we can find ourselves in a race against time in seeking to prevent advanced technological capacities, such as nuclear weapons development, from serving tyrannical purposes that aim to destroy and to subjugate free people to coercive ideologies. While not always popular, I believe that it is essential to engage other nations as a force for good in the world by maintaining a robust and effective diplomatic and assistance framework. This is why I do support some of the more aggressive proposals contained in this measure, such as the augmentation of Foreign Service officers at the Department of State and at the United States Agency for International Development. We simply cannot respond to monumental changes in the world with an overextended workforce and with diminished capacities to accomplish complex and difficult assignments. However, it does concern me that many people throughout the world hold a dualistic view toward our country. Given the nature of the system of government that we have been very fortunate to inherit, they look to us in hope, and they see the United States as a force for great good. However, on the other hand, they are wary of the imposition of controversial Western-style notions upon them. For instance, pursuant to Secretary Clinton's recent testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, we are now faced with a policy that equates abortion advocacy with health care advocacy, a policy that is very divisive in our own country and is one that many nations around the world repudiate. It is not consistent with internationally accepted notions of human rights. Such a policy will undermine the very relationships we are seeking to strengthen through this measure. While I see great value in strengthening our foreign relations overall, I remain deeply concerned that the bill before us today provides a framework for injecting jarring and discordant notes from divisive and unresolved domestic disputes here in our country into U.S. foreign policy. We should be using this process to find our common ground, to develop the tools that actually bind the human family, that lift weary human hearts around the world, that provide justice for all, especially for vulnerable persons, including the elderly, the mother and her unborn child, the father seeking to provide protection for his family, and the tribe and culture seeking recognition, dignity and freedom from tyranny and twisted ideologies. In good conscience I cannot support this legislation as it stands because it risks subordinating U.S. foreign policy to highly-charged domestic social controversies and imposing controversial Western social paradigms on cultures that should have the freedom to preserve their most cherished traditions for the well being of men and women, families and children. The approach before us risks politicizing our foreign service at a time when a strong, united, bipartisan approach to the myriad security and diplomatic challenges we face is vital. Our foreign policy should reflect our shared values as a nation, and I stand ready to work with my colleagues on that which unites us. With that said, I regret that I must urge my colleagues to vote no on this measure.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, 60 years ago, the United States embarked on a crucial operation to sustain and defend a vulnerable entrapped people. The Berlin Airlift was a colossal strategic mission that encouraged strength and fortitude in those held captive in Berlin. Today, we honor those who designed and participated in this feat. These brave veterans struck the first major blow in the new Cold War, forcing Stalin to lift the blockade that impoverished Germany's capitol, and thwarting the Iron Curtain's fall over the Western strongholds. The efforts of these airmen embody the highest virtues of American air defense, as they fused tactical brilliance, along with innovation and with goodness in heart, in what is seen as one of the greatest American humanitarian efforts of all time. Our veterans provided food, coal, and medical supplies to the besieged citizens of West Berlin each day, living up to the spirit of the Greatest Generation. They led a seminal goodwill offensive that succeeded in alleviating the suffering inflicted by Stalin's regime that threatened the peace and prosperity of all those in Berlin, East Germany, as well as throughout the world. Some creative and generous pilots even found a heartwarming way to connect with the children of Berlin during those airlifts. As they carpeted the streets of Berlin with chocolates and candy, they drew the hearts and minds of many children to goodness and liberty rather than the pervasive Communist propaganda that sought to turn them against the West. The goodwill of this so-called ``Operation Little Vittles'' has carried forward to the streets of Baghdad today, where many of our soldiers relish opportunities to brighten the lives of Iraqi children as well. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, let us remember the veterans who exemplified our highest ideals of brilliance and innovation in air defense, and whose integrity and dedication to liberty have inspired so many vulnerable people throughout the world. Their example renews our faith in the power of freedom and goodness to prevail over tyranny. Mr. Speaker, as the memories of World War II and the Berlin blockade fade with the passing years, I believe it is even more important to commemorate the spirit of kindness that led our veterans to bring hope and to bring joy to the weary and beleaguered city of Berlin. Mr. Speaker, a congressional resolution has been introduced to honor their legacy. I'm grateful for this opportunity to celebrate this noble endeavor, and I ask my colleagues to please join me in remembering and thanking those who served 60 years ago in the Berlin Airlift.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in strong support of H.R. 2162, a bill designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 123 11th Avenue in Nampa, Idaho, as the Herbert A Littleton Postal Station. Mr. Speaker, many of my words here will repeat the commemoration the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) just gave, but I think it is worth repeating because today we are honoring a man who paid the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of his fellow soldiers and on behalf of a grateful Nation. Herbert Littleton was a private first class in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was born in 1930 in Mena, Arkansas, and attended high school in Sturgis, South Dakota, where he played basketball and football. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on July 29, 1948. Upon joining the Marines, he trained in San Diego and at Camp Pendleton before he was shipped out to Korea on December 17, 1950, fighting in South and Central Korean operations. Serving as a radio operator with an artillery forward observation team, he was in action against enemy aggressor forces. Private First Class Littleton was standing watch when a well-concealed and numerically superior enemy force launched a violent night attack from nearby positions against his company. He quickly alerted the forward observation team and immediately moved into an advantageous position to assist in calling down artillery fire onto the hostile force. It was during this fierce battle that an enemy hand grenade was thrown into his vantage point shortly after the arrival of the remainder of his fellow soldiers. As Mr. Lynch pointed out, Private First Class Littleton unhesitatingly hurled himself on the grenade, absorbing its full, shattering, and explosive impact. Because of his quick action and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice, he saved the other members of his team from serious injury or death and enabled them to carry on the vital mission which culminated in the repulse of that hostile attack. His unflinching valor in the face of almost certain death reflects the highest credit upon Private First Class Littleton and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country. In addition to being awarded the Medal of Honor for ``conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty,'' Private First Class Littleton was awarded the Purple Heart, Korean Service Medal with one bronze star, and the United Nations Service Medal. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill in which a grateful Nation honors a man who courageously traded his life for the lives of his fellow soldiers and in service to our country. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FORTENBERRY

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I will yield back the balance of my time.